At the very beginning of this interpretation of the Holy Qur’an we stated this verse as a title, slogan and basis which we have started the interpretation by.

(… أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَۚ ) (Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’ān?): It is mentioned many times:

} أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ أَمۡ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقۡفَالُهَآ{

(Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’ān, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?) (Muhammad: 25)

} كِتَٰبٌ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَيۡكَ مُبَٰرَكٞ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوٓاْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ{

([This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded) (Saad: 29)

The Holy Qur’an is the word of Allah (swt), as it is one of His attributes, and definitely the attribute of The Perfect is perfection. When you deal with the Holy Qur’an, you are required to reflect upon it, but how is that? There are two stages in dealing with the Holy Qur’an, the first stage is reflecting upon and the second stage is contemplation (giving thought). As for reflecting upon, Allah (swt) created for man an intellectual machine, so he must think about the Book of Allah (swt) and avoid being shallow-minded in understanding what is meant by Allah’s (swt) words. Studying deeply the Holy Qur’an makes its bestowments extend through time. It is a noble book, its giving does not end, and the more the human mind develops, it derives from the Holy Qur’an what suits it, because it is the speech of Allah (swt); The creator of the mind which is the thinking machine, so you have to reflect upon:

 إِنَّ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ%  ٱلَّذِينَ يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمٗا وَقُعُودٗا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمۡ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هَٰذَا بَٰطِلٗا سُبۡحَٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ % رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ مَن تُدۡخِلِ ٱلنَّارَ فَقَدۡ أَخۡزَيۡتَهُۥۖ وَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِنۡ أَنصَارٖ

(Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding % Who remember Allāh while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire. % Our Lord, indeed whoever You admit to the Fire – You have disgraced him, and for the wrongdoers there are no helpers.) (Ali-Imran: 190-192)

then you think about the outcome of things and their background as if you are hearing from Allah (swt). So dealing with the Holy Qur’an is not like dealing with any other book; for you cannot touch it unless you are purified as Allah (swt) says:

لَّا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ

(None touch it except the purified.) (Al-Waaqia: 79)

Hence, the one who will read the Qur’an must prepare himself, physically and spiritually, to hear the words of Allah (swt) in order to get the gifts of its lights. And unless he is qualified, he will not be able to receive the bestowments; so he must be pure, perform ablution and read the Holy Qur’an as if he is hearing it from Allah (swt). Only then the skin and the heart relaxes at the remembrance of Allah:

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

(Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.) (Ar-Raid: 28)

So the Holy Qur’an has a relation with the soul and heart:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ رُوحٗا مِّنۡ أَمۡرِنَاۚ

(And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command) (Ash-Shura: 52)

 نَزَلَ بِهِ ٱلرُّوحُ ٱلۡأَمِينُ % عَلَىٰ قَلۡبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنذِرِينَ

(The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down % Upon your heart, [O Muḥammad] – that you m) (Ash-Shu’ara: 192-193)

The resonance of the Noble Qur’an comes to the human heart and touches his passion and soul, but if you read it as an ordinary book, you will not be able to derive anything from it, so we first start by seeking refuge in order to put a barrier between us and Satan’s obsessions and temptations:

 فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

(So when you recite the Qur’an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy].) (An-Nahl: 98)

Reflecting upon the Holy Qur’an covers many aspects; for the Holy Qur’an reveals the past history:

ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۚ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُونَ أَقْلَامَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ

(That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muhammad]. And you were not with them when they cast their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. Nor were you with them when they disputed.) (Al-Imran: 44)

 وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَى الْأَمْرَ وَمَا كُنتَ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ % وَلَٰكِنَّا أَنشَأْنَا قُرُونًا فَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعُمُرُ ۚ وَمَا كُنتَ ثَاوِيًا فِي أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ تَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا وَلَٰكِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ % وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا وَلَٰكِن رَّحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أَتَاهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

(And you, [O Muhammad], were not on the western side [of the mount] when We revealed to Moses the command, and you were not among the witnesses [to that]. % But We produced [many] generations [after Moses], and prolonged was their duration. And you were not a resident among the people of Madyan, reciting to them Our verses, but We were senders [of this message]. % And you were not at the side of the mount when We called [Moses] but [were sent] as a mercy from your Lord to warn a people to whom no warner had come before you that they might be reminded.) (Al-Qasas: 44-46)

And the Holy Qur’an reveals the future as well:

 سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ

([Their] assembly will be defeated, and they will turn their backs [in retreat].) (Al-Qamar: 45)

It was narrated that when this above mentioned verse was revealed, Omar bin al-Khatab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Which assembly is this? After that when the Badr battle took place, he saw the Prophet (saws) holding his sword saying:

 سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ

([Their] assembly will be defeated, and they will turn their backs [in retreat].) (Al-Qamar: 45)[1]

There is a future revelation in this verse, too:

 الم % غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ (2) فِي أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ وَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ % فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَ ۗ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِن قَبْلُ وَمِن بَعْدُ ۚ وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

(Alif, Lam, Meem. % The Byzantines have been defeated % In the nearest land. But they, after their defeat, will overcome. % Within three to nine years. To Allah belongs the command before and after. And that day the believers will rejoice) (Ar-Room: 1-4)

Hence, the Holy Qur’an revealed the past, future and inform about the Prophets’ stories. Moreover, the recent researches proved the truthfulness of what is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, for example, Egypt was ruled by Pharaohs along all the times except at the age of the Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) (PBUH), as they were expelled by the Hyksos, and we a reference of this fact in this verse:

 وَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ ائْتُونِي بِهِ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ الرَّسُولُ قَالَ ارْجِعْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَاسْأَلْهُ مَا بَالُ النِّسْوَةِ اللَّاتِي قَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي بِكَيْدِهِنَّ عَلِيمٌ

(And the king said, “Bring him to me.” But when the messenger came to him, [Joseph] said, “Return to your master and ask him what is the case of the women who cut their hands. Indeed, my Lord is Knowing of their plan.”) (Yusuf: 50)

Additionally, there are a lot of historical events that the Holy Qur’an talks about and later the humans discovered them through the ruins as the ship of Noah (PBUH) and the corpse of Pharaoh:

 فَالْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ آيَةً ۚ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا لَغَافِلُونَ

(So today We will save you in body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign. And indeed, many among the people, of Our signs, are heedless) (Yunus: 92)

Moreover, the verses of the Holy Qur’an deal with the worldly matters of every time, such as when talking about the hypocrites who are found in every time and every place. Hence, reflecting upon the Holy Qur’an is demanded, for example consider the precise expression in the following verse:

 إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ ۖ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

(If You should punish them – indeed they are Your servants; but if You forgive them – indeed it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.) (Al-Maida: 118)

Who recites the Qur’an expect to read (The forgiving, The Merciful) at the end of this verse instead of (The Exalted in Might, the Wise). In fact, when Allah (swt) says: (If You should punish them – indeed they are Your servants) this means that He (swt) is The Wise Who is not in need of His servants, and (but if You forgive them- indeed it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise), The wise is the One who puts things in their right position, so the end of this verse is very precise.

Another example, when Allah (swt) speaks about the theft, says:

 وَالسَّارِقُ وَالسَّارِقَةُ ..

([As for] the thief, the male and the female,..) (Al-Maida: 38)

But when speaks about the adultery, says:

 الزَّانِيَةُ وَالزَّانِ.

(The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse…) (An-Noor: 2)

In the first verse, since the theft is generally committed by the males, Allah (swt) mentions the male thief before the female one, whereas, since that the female is behind the adultery in most cases, she is mentioned first in the second verse.

When Allah (swt) says:

 مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ % بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَّا يَبْغِيَانِ

(He released the two seas, meeting [side by side]; % Between them is a barrier [so] neither of them transgresses.) (Ar-Rahman: 19-20)

It was thought that the barrier is from the clouds, later it was discovered by the Radio Satellite that there is a barrier of water between the two seas which is different in condense and weight from both of them.

And there are many other scientific facts that are stated in the Holy Qur’an. To be noted that there are 6236 verses in the Holy Qur’an, 500 of them relate to the rulings whereas all the others relate to universe and scientific facts which never change, such as this verse which talks about the creation of man:

 وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن سُلَالَةٍ مِّن طِينٍ % ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُطْفَةً فِي قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ % ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ ۚ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ

(And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay. % Then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a firm lodging. % Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a lump [of flesh], and We made [from] the lump, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allah, the best of creators.) (Al-Muminuun: 12-14)

On the other hand, the one who reflects upon the Holy Qur’an needs to be qualified in the Arabic language, for example Allah (swt) says in two different verses:

 وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُم مِّنْ إِمْلَاقٍ

(and do not kill your children out of poverty;) (Al-An’am: 151)

وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ

(And do not kill your children for fear of poverty.) (Al-Israa: 31)

 

What is the difference? In the first verse, the poverty already exists, whereas in the second one, there is in fact no poverty, but you afraid of it. Hence every word in the Holy Qur’an has its accurate meaning, even thought the separated letters that occur at the beginning of some Surahs, such as (Alif-Lam-Mim) which are formed out of 14 letters, that is half of the letters of the Arabic letters. Certainly, this is not arbitrary rather stated accurately and in amazing order that establishes a meaningful sentence in Arabic. As such, Allah (swt) challenges the Jinn and the mankind to bring even a sentence similar to the Holy Qur’an verses:

 قُل لَّئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَىٰ أَن يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ لَا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَلَوْ كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِيرًا

(Say, “If mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants.”) (Al-Israa: 88)

The Holy Qur’an is a book of guidance for humankind and it contains countless of scientific and the spiritual secrets in addition to spiritual bestowments. It is perfect as perfection is a virtue of Allah (swt), the Prophet (saws) said:

“The superiority of God’s words over all other words is like God’s superiority over His creatures.”

what a difference between the words of Allah (swt) and of human beings! Therefore, we have to reflect upon the Holy Qur’an through reading it every day.

So dealing with the Holy Qur’an is a very important and serious matter, because these verses are the most sacred thing for Muslims since they are the words of Allah (swt).

[1] Al-Mu’jam al-Wasit: Juz’.4. Hadith No.3829.